1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to assessment of an electrical conductor or wire. More specifically, the invention is a method for anticipating problems with electrical wiring by monitoring gaseous effluence of one or more impurities emitted from the insulation in contact with an electrical conductor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wiring (e.g., individual conductors, bundles of conductors, conductive runs on printed circuit boards, etc.) is used extensively for the delivery of electrical power and electrically coded information. Although wiring is typically presumed to be stable and avoid degradation, the reality is that many applications are critically affected by aging of electrical insulation disposed about an electrical conductor. For example, insulation may be adversely affected by moisture and heat. As the insulation ages, the loss-tangent of the material changes thereby changing the frequency response and power loss of the associated electrical conductors. In power transmission applications, electrical insulation plays a key role in the prevention of shorts and arcs. Specifically, insulation degradation can cause functional failures such as frequency attenuation and short circuits. Such failures may lead to problems ranging from annoying brief interruptions of service to lengthy catastrophic system failures.